Born in Kuesnacht, Switzerland, a small town on the lake of Zurich, Mr. Schmitter was educated in the regimented Swiss public school system and attended a four-year co-op program with the Engineering School of the Canton of Zurich. He graduated as a Mechanical Engineer in 1974 and served his mandatory duty in the mechanized division of the Swiss Army.
He immigrated to the United States in 1979 and co-founded a privately-held, St. Louis-based machine tool manufacturing firm. Hydromat, Inc. grew from a handful of people producing $750,000 in sales in the first year to a multi-national organization with over 200 associates and exceeding $80,000,000 in sales annually, in 2013.
As President and Chief Executive Officer, he is a promoter of Total Quality Management (TQM) and considered a visionary in the manufacturing industry. He successfully demonstrates a hands-on, no-nonsense, people-oriented management style to get the job done and stands by his commitment to excellence in total customer satisfaction.
Married for 35 years, he and his wife, Judith, enjoy their three children and two grandchildren.
His hobbies include family activities, travel and golf.